Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:01:00 10/16/2008
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Allies of a defeated gubernatorial candidate close to President Macapagal-Arroyo Wednesday pushed through with the filing of a petition to oust Catholic priest Eddie Panlilio as governor of Pampanga.
Leaders of the Kapanalig at Kambilan ning Memalen Pampanga Inc. (Kambilan) said they had gathered 224,875 signatures to force recall elections against Panlilio, who ran on the prodding of Kapampangan wary of the lack of choices in the last elections between actor Mark Lapid and board member Lilia Pineda, wife of suspected “jueteng” lord Rodolfo “Bong” Pineda and a close friend of Ms Arroyo.
Temie Lambino, provincial election supervisor, received the petition at 10:50 a.m. from the principal petitioner, Kambilan president Rosve Henson, his lawyer, Andres Pangilinan Jr., and Vice Gov. Joseller Guiao.
Henson, who campaigned for Lilia Pineda in her failed gubernatorial bid, paid a filing fee of P50,000 in the form of a manager’s check.
168 boxes
Several mayors and provincial board members helped Kambilan members deliver to the Commission of Elections office here at least 168 boxes with the signatures.
Ferdinand Rafanan, Comelec legal division chief in Manila, said the verification of the signatures has to be finished before May next year.
He said the process should be finished by then because the law prohibits recall elections a year before national elections. The next national elections are scheduled in May 2010.
He said the verification process could take two, three or more months depending on obstacles thrown its way.
“Verification is not easy. The help of public school teachers might be needed and both sides must have representatives,” said Rafanan.
Henson said the signatories from the province’s 20 towns and this capital city represent 24 percent of the province’s 954,000 voters as certified by the National Statistics Office.
Across the Comelec office, the Kambilan crowd carried placards and streamers showing support for the recall campaign.
1st recall
Panlilio, the 26th governor of Pampanga, was the first public official here subjected to a recall.
Senior Supt. Keith Singian, Pampanga police director, said the crowd was about 8,000. Some government-owned vehicles were seen bringing the recall supporters to the capitol starting 7 a.m.
They attended an 8 a.m. Mass, officiated by Fr. Rodolfo de Guzman, and a rally before marching to the Comelec office.
Lubao Mayor Dennis Pineda, son of Lilia Pineda, was not in the pro-recall rally.
Kambilan cited loss of confidence as ground to oust Panlilio.
Its petition was anchored on four cases – the complaint of former quarry workers Noel Mallari and Ajie Aquino against their termination for alleged corruption in quarry fee collection, Panlilio’s refusal to enforce Ordinance No. 176 that would ease restrictions on quarry tax collections and increase mayors’ access to these funds, a perjury case filed by losing candidate Elly Pamatong, and a case filed by Dr. Eddie Ponio against Panlilio’s decision to change the assignments of heads of district hospitals.
For the first time since Kambilan launched the recall campaign on Aug. 21, one of Panlilio’s former supporters, businesswoman Lolita Hizon, came out in public, vowing to work double time to help oust the governor. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon with Alcuin Papa in Manila.
link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20081016-166619/Bid-to-oust-Panlilio-filed-at-Comelec
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